Avenge, but One of my two eyes

Avenge, but One of my two eyes

Israeli filmmaker Avi Mograbi’s latest documentary has an unabashedly provocative thesis. Throughout the film, Mograbi juxtaposes footage of Palestinians being humiliated by Israeli guards with scenes of Jewish tourists being regaled by tales of their ancestors’ historical struggles for freedom. Focusing on the oft-retold stories of Samson (who, after being blinded and humiliated by the Philistines, knocked an entire temple down to crush his oppressors) and Masada (the site where over 900 Jews committed suicide to resist becoming slaves of the conquering Romans), the director highlights the hypocrisy of his fellow countrymen for celebrating these ancient tales as they simultaneously condemn the Palestinians for acting out in a similarly violent manner.